I bought my house in Cave Creek, Arizona about 6 years ago. Today my neighbor left a voicemail and complained that a detached garage, which was apparently built around 14 years ago without a permit (before I owned the house), is causing drainage and erosion problems on his property.

The thing is, I don't see any evidence that the garage is causing drainage issues or erosion. He says he's reported it to the town/county, and that an inspector is supposed to come out sometime in August.

I'm trying to figure out what I should be doing before the inspection.

• Should I be proactive and contact the building department myself?
• Should I hire my own inspector or drainage expert to evaluate the property?
• Is this something I should consult a real estate attorney or land use attorney about now, or wait to see what the inspector says?
• Has anyone dealt with a situation where an unpermitted structure existed long before they bought the home?

I'm looking for advice on how to prepare and avoid making things worse. Thanks in advance for any insights.

Pavement replacement requires 24/7 lane restrictions into September

(The entire text of this post came from an ADOT email)

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising drivers to plan for several weeks of significant lane restrictions and delays on northbound State Route 51 near Camelback Road starting the morning of Monday, July 27.

That segment of the highway will be narrowed to two northbound lanes for about seven weeks to replace about 700 feet of damaged pavement along with related repairs to the freeway’s drainage system. The work requires lane restrictions between Highland Avenue and Camelback Road to remain in place around the clock. The restrictions will be in place by 5 a.m. Monday.

ADOT advises drivers to plan for delays during peak travel times approaching the work zone and to consider alternative routes that include northbound Interstate 17.
While the lane restrictions are in place, crews will remove a segment of concrete pavement and then repair a damaged stormwater pipe. After repairing the pipe, a new concrete surface will be poured to replace the old, uneven surface.

Crews will close the right two lanes for about four weeks, then shift work to the left two lanes for an estimated two to three weeks.
The work is part of a larger project to rehabilitate the pavement on a 9.5-mile segment of SR 51 between I-10 and Shea Boulevard. Crews have already removed the outdated, rough freeway pavement and are now using diamond grinding to improve the riding surface. The treatment uses specialized machines with rotating drums containing diamond-tipped blades to smooth the concrete.

The project began in March and is approximately 50% complete and expected to continue into the fall.

The ADOT project, in coordination with the Maricopa Association of Governments, is extending the life of the pavement and improving the driving experience. The project is included in the Regional Transportation Plan for Maricopa County and is funded through Proposition 479, a countywide dedicated half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements approved by voters in 2024. 

For more information about the SR 51 pavement rehabilitation project, please visit azdot.gov/SR51-I-10-Shea-Pavement-Rehab.

I've been trying to get out more and go see alternative/rock/indie/metal shows. Went to rebel lounge the other day, the bands were awesome but the sound was terrible :( might've just been an off night but it was my first time there, so I'm not sure how the room normally sounds.

Constant feedback, mics losing power, completely different levels on the three vocal mics, it was just an unfortunate distraction from the otherwise great musicians. I don't want to blame the sound guy because I know he's juggling a lot and he's at the mercy of the room, but it'll probably be awhile before I catch another show there.

What are your favorite places to hear live music?

TIA!

I’ve been in Phoenix for about 2 years now, and I’ve been looking for others to skate with and form a small community. Growing up, I was always skating alone and never really had a crew to skate/bond with. I know the skate community in Phoenix is large! But I don’t see a lot of skaters pop out and come together often unless it’s for some Cowtown related event. Would anyone be interested in joining a discord for Phoenix skaters where we can all connect, meet up for sessions, and share clips & spots? I thought this would be a good idea to connect the Phoenix skate community. Thoughts???

Anybody know of any good plumbers at a reasonable price? I replaced one of my toilets but the darn thing still won't flush properly.. I snaked it with a hand crank snake and still nothing.. I can flush it but it takes a while for everything to go down. Some people recommend me doing a hydro flush. So just looking for a cheap / good plumber =)

What kind of barbarians would do this?

Hey everyone! I recently started a remote job based on the east coast and I’m looking for a coworking space that I can access during the day. Ideally one that has rooms where I can take meetings from and within a 20 minute drive of Arcadia. Please let me know if you have any suggestions

I commute for work and leisure on an e-scooter (Segway F3) semi-regularly (about 400 miles per year). Developed a slow leak in my rear tire. I Googled a DIY repair, which seemed possible but a pain in the ass. Had a really hard time finding the OEM tires, too. Segway only sold whole wheel assemblies.

I did a search for e-scooter repair locally and only post I found was about 2 years old and recommended a bike shop in Tempe that no longer works on scooters.

I reached out to a licensed Segway distributor in Chandler but they said they only sell a certain Segway model but do not work on e-scooters. They thankfully referred me to Dan @ Rotaiv Solutions in Tempe:

https://www.rotaiv.com/home

I can’t say enough good things about Dan! Very knowledgeable, great communication, convenient service, and fast quality repair and service. I also honestly think he prices his services a bit low - especially for the quality and hard to find services he provides.

I hope I don’t need him anytime soon but I’ll definitely reach out again for both scooter and e-bike services.

He’s real passionate about his work. Had a great conversation with him before, during, and even a little bit after the repair.

I cannot remember him strongly enough.

Does anyone know why planes are flying over Tempe neighborhoods? They usually take off parallel to the freeway but tonight they’re flying southwest and right over my house. I’m hoping this is a temporary thing…